The Importance of Paul Auster
A short insight into the work of one of the great writers of Western literature of the last half century.
When we approach the study of contemporary literature (a term that is generally accepted), referring to literary works written from the mid-twentieth century to the present day, it is challenging to use references from authors who are still active.
However, it is possible to make weighty balances in the case of long literary careers, of writers with several decades of experience, and who, in many cases, have already entered a phase that could be considered their last — something like a “working old age.”
In this case, the figure of Paul Auster falls into this classification (so to speak), being an explicit exponent of a solid and long literary career, which is still productive today (this very 2024, he publishes his new novel Baumgartner) but that being so broad and retroactive for more than 40 years already allows a deep study of his bibliography and influence in the world of letters.
A first superficial analysis of Auster’s novels reveals two concepts that are common to most of them: metaliterature and chance.
When one approaches the works of the American writer, from the very first moment, one acquires an active…
